For War To Love
by InkNerd
Summary: He was doomed to the mortal world until the little thing known as 'love' entered his warmongering heart. But is it possible for War to Love?
1. Prologue

**AN: This is just a test run, and if people like this and want more of the story, I may concede. However, I may continue it because I love this idea and so with out further ado, I give you.....The Prologue.......**

In a very large city with filled with people bustling hither to and yonder, shopping, talking, selling, walking and _ALL_ manner of things one does in the city, he did not stand out. Well, not as much as he would have if he was in say, a small town. Ruggedly handsome men are a dime a dozen in the city, but in a small town, he would not have been able to walk anywhere with out being noticed. Hence he could not have picked a better place to be dropped than a lively city. However, if it were up to him, he would never have been sent here in the first place.

_"But Zeus! You must let him find it and experience this. Yes, I am well aware that it's totally against his nature, but just once in his life, he needs to know what it feels like," explained an exasperated Eros. He had finally convinced Aphrodite to let the god find what true love is, but now Eros had to convince Zeus. Sure Eros had found the perfect girl for Ares, but Zeus would be the one who got the final say. Suffice it to say, showing Zeus that this was the right choice was not going well for the god of love. Rational thinking and logical arguments were not a strong point for Eros. _

_"Eros, it seems to me that it is impossible for Ares to fall in love. As you know his elements are the exact opposites of love and romance. Those are yours and Aphrodite's elements," Zeus said for what seemed the umpteenth time that day. Understandably, all the gods had affairs with other goddesses, but that was Lust not Love. _

_Zeus had to chuckle at the fact Eros was being slightly irrational since it was a one and a million chance for this to be pulled off. But wasn't love often an irrational thing? _

_Zeus had indeed surveyed the woman that Eros thought was perfect for Ares. He did think that she could potentially led Ares to fall in love, but it was a long shot. It was hard to make Ares do anything that didn't relate to what he presided over. _

_"For the love of all that is good, just send him already," complained Hermes, the one who would have to personally tell Ares to pack his bags for Humanville. Hermes just wanted the dreaded task to be over and done with, as he would like to come back alive. Everyone knew Ares had a temper that was the size of earth, and no one wanted to be on the receiving end of said temper. Hermes had no doubt that Ares would pitch a fit about being sent to the mortal realm with no plausible explanation. _

_"Hermes, it's not the easiest decision in the world to make. Think of the positive and negative effects. If things go well, then all that means is less war and violence among the humans, or at least less violent wars. If thinks go awry then the world would be plunged into World War Three and everything would be in total chaos, even here on Olympus. It would be years, eons before peace and order would be restored. Just think of the pros and cons!" cried the leader of the gods._

_"If it should go well, and I think it would, then the war and violence would be reduced greatly. Everyone would be more peaceful and happy." Eros stressed the positive effects, hoping that Zeus would finally agree to let Ares go to the mortal world. Eros also wouldn't give up until his plan had been accomplished. An unusual thing for him, but he honestly thought that it would be the best of both worlds. _

And so it was that, Ares the War god was doomed to the mortal realm 'til love entered his warmongering world. But would war ever love?


	2. Enter the Heroine

**AN: I figured you all might need a bit more of substance in order to make a decision on whether you like it or not. So here is the first real chapter of the story....**

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When Andrea woke up that morning, she knew it would be a day that she wouldn't forget. Andrea didn't know how or even why it would be a good day, the kind of good you don't forget. Both those questions were answered around lunch when a certain male walked into the café Andrea worked at. He seemed to draw attention, even if he didn't want it. But with his god like looks, fitting in would be pretty damn hard.

Andrea lived in a thriving metropolis that was somewhere in between NYC and Tokyo in size. It had it's fair share of everything. Bookshops, cafes, restaurants, theaters, museums and anything else one might find in a large city. Andrea had it on good authority that even though handsome men were oozing out from all over the city, that man who just walked in would still stand out. He had the perfect looks. As in too perfect.

However if one took time to look past the superficialities of the man, she would see that there was conflict and anger in his eyes. And as bizarre as it seemed to her, Andrea wanted to know why he was angry and conflicted. He seemed very brooding, drawing people in yet repulsing them at the same time.

Unfortunately, the fact he chose a table to sit down in was the end of her curiosity. Christopher, the owner of the fine establishment, had Andrea working the counter. Apparently, she was one of the most competent staff members Christopher had ever hired. Andrea was good people people, and numbers. Things Chris liked in whom ever worked the counter.

Andrea even over heard Chris talking to Rowen, his bizarre but sweet girlfriend, saying something about how she, Andrea, was the only person other than himself who had the skills required to handle the counter. For whatever reasons she was placed there, Andrea continued to keep people happy by making coffee, ringing their bills et cetera et cetera et cetera.

Whilst she was busy doing my job, Andy, as she often went by, still couldn't help but feel slightly ill and sorry for the man. It was as if all the women both married and single had never seen a man before and they acted as if they were back in junior high. Giggling and whispering about the man, and it seemed as if he could hear them. His face contorted in anger, but Andy could tell he was trying to keep his agitation from totally boiling over. She was very glad for that. A loss of business might ensue if he shouted at the women to quit staring at him so intently.

However, Andy thought he was probably some big shot somewhere in the hierarchy of the city who had more money than she'd ever make in my lifetime. Yet that still didn't keep her from feeling sorry for him. After all, he was every bit a person as the dorky kid in the corner studying for some test he had in chemistry. The man couldn't even read the menu in peace.

_Women these days, _Andrea thought. Although a little voice reminded her that she would be staring and whispering too if it weren't for the fact she was an employee and had to hold a higher standard. To her, he had to remain an ordinary customer, and thus treated like ever other person in the café.

"Andy! You've got to go and take his order!" Chris whispered as he joined Andrea behind the counter. She raised an eyebrow at him, clearly indicating she thought him to be crazy. Sure, he was her boss, but why did she have to do a job that someone else could do? It wasn't as if she was the only capable person that Chris had working for him.

"Why?" she asked, as she poured coffee into a cup. Andy heard Chris sigh, rolling his eyes in a manner that only Chris could pull off. "Because everyone is awed by him yes, but no one is willing to approach and break that barrier which is screaming 'piss me off and you die'." By the look in Chris's face, Andrea knew she was rem acu tetijisti. She sighed, pouring some coffee into another cup and getting two muffins for a couple who still hadn't gotten their order. Andy was a good worker and kept up with orders even though she and Chris were arguing.

_Figures he would chose me, _Andrea mentally complained. Chris _always_ chose her for the jobs no one else would do, only because Andy really didn't care just as long as she got paid. Work equaled money. A small measly job would be no big deal, but to approach what seemed like an atomic bomb waiting to explode was like asking for Chinese water torture to Andrea.

They worked silently side by side for a few minutes. Andy was choosing to ignore him and act as if that semi-outrageous task was never mentioned. That is until Chris whispered, "I'll give you a slight bonus." Ah, the magical words which usually helped push Andrea's resolve to do any task asked of her.

It wasn't that she was desperate for money but Andy made just enough to scrape by every month with all the tuition fees for college, the apartment bills and so on. A little extra cash to blow on a movie or coffee from Starbucks would have been nice. Although this made Andy feel a bit like Scooby-doo and Shaggy, getting bribed by the snacks. However the results were usually in Andrea's favor.

Groaning slightly as she pulled out the maroon apron, Andrea glowered at Chris and shoved her finger at his sternum. "I get all tips _you_ make, too," she growled quietly, and grabbed a notepad, before plastering a smile on. No one like a waitress who didn't smile or be polite. And since her potential good tipper was in a foul mood, Andy'd do anything to make his time here good enough for him to leave a tip and an generous one at that.

As Andrea approached, not only did he keep his head down, but women all around the café glared at her. '_Come on now, ladies. Just join the staff and you could have been the lucky one Chris called on to talk with the man,'_ thought Andrea, rolling her eyes and waited. Besides, she had grown up with four older brothers, so approaching a man with a brood was no problem for Andy. When she reached the table, I pulled out a pen finally one hundred percent ready to take his order. In my kindest waitress-y voice I asked,"What would you like this afternoon?"

The man looked at her with a semi-glare before returning to burn a hole in the menu. Man alive, Andy was only asking what he would like, he didn't need to seem so cold. However, now that Andrea was closer, she couldn't help but feel butterflies flutter as she was able to get a better look at his physical attributes. She was shocked and almost embarrassed as the attributes were almost dead on with the kind she wanted in a man.

It was if he had that fairy tale prince or god thing going on. Broad shoulders, dark hair, tanned skin, those Romanesque facial features(especially the high cheekbones), and who could ignore the amazing smoky grey eyes?

Andy looked at the notepad. His look was just to...perfect, causing her system to go into shock. Somehow Andrea now had a little more sympathy for the women in the café. She did her best to seem interested in taking his order, but Andy also tried to keep from looking at the man. Unfortunately(or fortunately) Andy couldn't resist looking at the man, as he appeared to finally be ready to order his lunch.

**(Don't forget to review! Please and Thank you!)**


	3. Enter the Not so Typical Hero

So there he was, sitting all alone and abandoned in a café in the mortal realm, cursing Eros, Zeus, and even Aphrodite. Apparently, they had all agreed that he had needed to be down here for awhile. Here being in the Mortal Realm. Since Eros was involved in the scheme, Ares knew that for whatever reason he was down here could not be a good one, or at least the reason was an idiotic one.

Oh, how Ares despised the mortals. To him, they were so weak ; so much fun to mess around with. Mortals had foolish reasons to argue, which made his 'job' nice and easy. All Ares had to do was make the arguments so bad, that the only solution was war. Such was a great and amusing pastime of causing war, planning war, executing those plans for war.

Not that Ares could do anything about it now. For some idiotic notion, Zeus thought it would be good to take away most of his god powers. All Ares was left with of any value or use was his god-like looks. Life was stinking mightily for the war god.

The situation was absolutely horrifying. Ares was very well aware of all the attention he was receiving from both female and even male customers( a thought that made him shiver from head to toe). Though mostly the male customers glared at him as if they really thought that the great Ares would do a think as to steal another man's woman. It was starting to tick him off.

Didn't they know how to mind their own business and leave a man to fume in peace? Ares glared at the menu before him to avoid catching anyone's gaze lest they should think he actually wanted to talk or do something with him. That would be the priceless pinnacle of his so far crappy day. That is until he took noticed of the waitress who was kindly serving him.

The first thing he noticed about her was her shoes. They were what humans called 'casual' shoes at least that was what Ares heard. He also heard that they were very stylish, but sensible. She was also wearing dark blue pants that are called jeans(even he was wearing a pair). A maroon apron started mid thigh and tied around her slender waist.

Her voice cut through Ares' observations, making his eyes snap to her face. She was pretty enough when he compared her to the other women he had seen that day. The waitress was certainly no Aphrodite, but Ares was sure she could hold her own in a beauty contest. Though after another look, Ares doubted she was interested in that kind of mundane mortal thing.

The woman had long, wavy, auburn hair. Her eyes were like the deepest emerald, but hidden by pleasant-looking things mortals called glasses. She was pale, but that didn't matter all that much because many people around here were very pale. Ares could detect the laugh lines in her genuine smile. Ares wondered what she could have been so bloody happy about, However, it appeared to Ares that she seemed to have both beautiful outsides and insides. A rare sight both in his world and in this one.

"What would you like this afternoon?" she had asked. It almost made the god smile. Straight and to the point kind of speech was about all he could endure at the moment, since he really didn't wish to talk much or at all. Another quality about the woman that Ares liked. She could obviously read his mood, and being a sensible person, did nothing that would agitate Ares further.

He looked at the menu, finalizing his order then looking to the waitress. A quick glance at her name tag stated her name was "Andy". Obviously short for something, he deduced. No woman would be named Andy, at least not in her right mind. Andrea,yes. Andy, no. The now-mortal Ares sighed and shut the menu. "I'd like the Mediterranean special and a glass of water." Andrea, as he was going to call her unless informed otherwise, jotted the order down, smiled, and took Ares' menu away, leaving him him nothing to read to distract him.

"Thanks, your order will be up shortly." she said with another smile before walking back toward the kitchen area. Ares, with nothing else to do, followed Andrea with his eyes. and saw her smirk at a man behind the counter who glowered slightly in returned. The took Ares' order and disappeared behind a swinging door. Ares silently prayed that his meal would not end up charred or worse, poisoned.

While he was waiting for my meal, Ares looked out the huge windows that lined one and a half walls. People were walking or driving everywhere. They had places to go and other people to see. It was certainly chaotic. Not his area of expertise(she was better off to be left alone), but warfare and violence can cause chaos. Yet things were different in this city, as it might be in all cities. It was as if some one had organized the chaos. If such a thing was possible. It was all rather entrancing to the war god. Never in his extremely long life had he seen something so....chaotic but not.

Some how he managed to pull himself back into the café, most likely because he heard a verbal war going on between Andrea and the man she had smirked at. Ares' silver gaze shifted toward the counter, proving what he had previously thought about common humans have verbal wars. The whole concept interested him and now that he had a chance to see it in action, Ares would soak in every minute of it. He did however get curious as to what they may have been arguing about and listened intently, hoping to catch the parts he missed. "You promised," Andrea hissed, trying to keep quiet lest she cause even more turmoil in the shop. Ares' brow furrowed. Perhaps the two were a couple?

"Andy, not now. People are staring," mumbled the man, also trying to stay quiet. Obviously he knew the consequences of not having a happy front all the time. It kept customers at least moderately content, and more likely to return. But then again, that's what Ares' thoughts, and for the most part his thoughts didn't matter in situations like this.

"Let them, Chris. You promised that raise, and if you don't deliver...I will quit," she snapped, throwing her arms in the air for emphasis. If her eyes could literally shoot emerald daggers, that man ,Chris, would be dead. He coughed, seemingly because he couldn't believe his pathetic human ears. Ares on the other hand heard her threat as clear as one might hear a pin drop in a morgue.

"You can't leave!" he pleaded. Apparently Andrea was important. Maybe not to Chris but to the shop. She just glared at him and fixed some one their coffee, tossing in ingredients and shoving the the pot back onto the plate.

"I will, I can certainly find another job else where. Sofia is hiring and the pay is good." Ares caught the horror and hatred in Chris's eyes. This Sofia person must be an enemy or something. It always intrigued Ares when an argument or war brought in an enemy of the assumed ally.

"Fine! I'll give you the raise. Just _never_ mention that woman again." he said. Andrea sighed, looking somewhat pained. As if she realized she had gone too far. In Ares' opinion she could have gone much farther.

"Chris, I'm sorry I brought her up since I know it's still hard for you to accept it, but what she did is in the past. Don't you think you can forgive her? "

Chris sighed, rubbing his temples. "Andy, it's hard to forget something like that, let alone forgive it. Now please let's just do our job and forget about this outburst." Andrea smiled and gave Chris a hug. He disappeared behind the swinging door again.

"Okay," Andrea murmured before smiling and picking up a platter. She stopped by a few tables. Andrea smiled and chatted with them for a few minutes. It seemed like she was a pretty hard worker. And a friendly one at that. Andrea also seemed to know many of the people here.

Ares could take a guess as to why Chris was horrified at the thought of Andrea leaving. She brought a lot of business to the place by being friendly, helpful, and all around good worker, or at least that is what appeared to be the case.

Though he was getting confused as to why he would be watching Andrea, Ares watched as she came this way, carrying the plate with his meal on it. It was probably just his hunger getting the better of his senses, since he became mortal the need for food became more of a need than a pleasure. Andrea smiled lightly before placing Ares meal and drink before him. "Is that all you will need?" she asked as she put a plastic straw on the table. As he nodded, Andrea smiled again before leaving the war god to eat his meal in semi perfect peace.

Ares warily began to eat his food. Surprisingly, it was really good. He wondered who had prepared it. Possibly Chris as he was not present in the customer part of the café, at least according to Ares' peripheral vision. When the war god was half way done, Andrea came over. "Would you like anything else?" Ares stopped mid chew. Did he feel adventurous to try anything else? Not really since this whole 'mortal' thing was enough of an adventure for him, so Ares shook my head. Andrea nodded a little before placing his bill on the table.

"Enjoy the rest of your meal." she said, wandering back to the tables she was at before to no doubt ask the same things she did with him. Andrea smiled to each person and it seemed that she could make anyone feel comfortable there. If Andrea had any troubles in her life(something that Ares was sure of since every mortal had problems), she hid it well as she acted as if she was hundred percent carefree.

Placing those thoughts aside as they really didn't matter much to him, Ares finished the rest of his meal, and took a look at the bill. It wasn't that bad considering the quality of the food, which was surprisingly good. Sighing as he rose from the table, Ares unfortunately drew the attention, that he worked sort of hard to redirect away from him, back to himself. Apparently, he hadn't been much to look at while eating. As vexing as it was to be watched, at least the women had not watched him the entire time. A small moment of peace to himself; though not much since so much was racing through his head.

Ares ignored all the stares as he walked to the register to pay for his delicious meal. At that point, he could think of nothing else but getting out of there and to his apartment which had been conveniently provided for him by Zeus. Andrea smiled, taking Ares's receipt and punched some buttons on the machine she was behind. "I believe that will be ten dollars." She stared at him but with that kind smile on her face, waiting for Ares to fork over his money.

Fishing in his baggy pants, Ares finally found what the people here called a wallet. He pulled the necessary money(at least Zeus thought to give him human money too. Possibly enough to live on for a bit, but Ares wasn't too sure) out and gave it to her. Andrea took the money, gaping as she punched more buttons, which made Ares a bit on edge. Did he do something wrong?

"Your change is forty dollars," Andrea said, seeming to disbelieve what came out of her mouth. Was it really that much change? If it was, the war god had no idea. Eros was the mortal expert. Ares never set foot on Earth before this point. Save for one time in his very distant past.

Ares took the change that Andrea had handed him, but he handed her a bill with the number twenty on it. "Your tip," he said nonchalantly as he walked out of the café, and into the busy city, waiting for anything else the day might throw his way.

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**AN: Hope you all enjoyed this installment of For War to Love. Comments are loved. **


	4. That's My Brother For Ya

The last hour had certainly been an intriguing and exciting hour. First, the most ruggedly handsome man Andrea had ever seen came into the café for his lunch hour. Then of course Chris made the poor girl serve said man, albeit through a bribe since it was the only way for anyone to approach the rugged brooding aura. She was embarrassed enough as it was because Andrea didn't do well with men in particularly especially extremely good looking men who fit her ideal man . Plus, Andrea thought that she didn't look all that great since he had been running late this morning.

Another thing that added to Andrea's hour, Christopher, the fool that he sometimes was, said that it was really just a bribe and that he wouldn't really be giving her a raise. Of course Andy was pissed at him and started arguing with him. Chris and Andy usually didn't argue, so it was a rare occurrence. Thankfully they made up. It's almost impossible for her to stay mad at Chris. He was her best guy friend ever. They had known each other since high school, though he was a year and a half older than she.

The thing that really made her hour an extremely good one was the man who Christopher had bribed Andy into serving gave a huge tip. TWENTY FLIPPIN' DOLLARS. That was more tips than she would normally make in a DAY. He must be rolling in the dough, since he not only gave me a large tip, but he also paid with a crisp fifty dollar bill. Andrea found it a bit unnerving that the guy didn't even think to put the small amount of ten dollars on his card. She had a little beef with the rich flaunting their wealth.

Her shift ended shortly after the man left, since she had other places to go and people to see. Andrea hurried to grab all her things before heading out the door. "Bye, Chris! See you tomorrow!" she called over her shoulder as she left the café.

"Bye, Andy!" she faintly heard. Chris was back in the kitchen, at least it was the most likely place for him to be. Chris loved to cook, so owning his own café was like a dream come true. It was nice to hear a bye from him, because it showed Andrea that he was no longer angry or upset with her. Andy shrugged into her coat since it was a bit chilly even for an autumn afternoon, and merged with the people on the sidewalk.

The city was still bustling, but that's what Andrea liked about it. Always busy, and someone was always busy doing something. Not like the dinky little town she had grown up in. There Andy didn't have much to do and got bored easily. Not in the city. Here she had done many things and still hadn't done them all. Just like the old adage which was a personal favorite, 'You may live in a city all your life and still not see all it has to offer.'

Smiling because the day was nice and not to crappy, Andy walked to her next job because she didn't have afternoon classes that day. Andrea loved this job as well, because she love books and reading. She entered the back room with a smile, inhaling the beautiful scent of new and old books. "Hey Jo!" Andrea called from the room where she was putting her coat and purse.

"Andy, hunny, is that you!?" came the cry of Jo, who was most likely having problems with the cash register. Joanne was a sweet lady and a genius with books, but she could not work with electronics to save her life. Maybe because most of it came to be when she was in her thirties and too old to really care much for the technology. To Jo, if it worked then who cared if it was old and a little out-dated. It was just one of her many quirks but it made her more charming. It was a wonder to Andrea why Jo wasn't seeing any older gentleman. From Andy's perspective it was probably because most of the older gentlemen were married or sugar daddies.

Andrea stuck the name tag on and walked out into the shop proper. And indeed Jo was frantically trying to work the register. The younger woman had to stifle a laugh since it was no laughing matter but was still a little amusing. Andrea smiled at the couple Jo was trying help. "May I help?" Andy asked, taking the spot at the register. Jo stepped away with an appreciated smile on her face. Andrea knew Jo give Andy one of her famous cookies that she also sold in her shop. Jo was one of the most grandmotherly women Andrea had ever met.

"Yes, we would like the buy these," said the woman. Andy smiled again, taking the books and rang them up. "Alrighty, your total is twenty five dollars and ten cents." The man gave her a card, which she swiped. After all the transactions and receipt signing was finished, Andrea handed them their books that she had put in a bag. "Have a good day, and thanks for shopping at the Mrs. Robertson's Cornershop Bookstore." They smiled, nodded, and left the bookstore.

"What would I do with out you?" Jo asked as she put some books on the shelf. Andy laughed.

"Probably go out of business. But Marty helps you too so I guess you wouldn't totally go under." Jo laughed, shaking her head and put more on the shelves. Marty or Martin, was Jo's geeky son. He worked mostly on making sure Jo did the accounts right, and making sure that the technological things where working properly.

Looking around and seeing no one, Andrea pulled out a book she had begun reading earlier that day. Jo allowed Andrea to read at the register as long as she still remained aware that people could enter and buy something, which they couldn't do if Andy's nose was stuck in a book.

Andrea was deeply engrossed with the text so much so that she barely heard the little ring of the door bell. However, she heard it and sighed, setting the book to the side. That was the only trouble with reading at the counter, just starting to be totally enveloped by the story when all the sudden customers walk in. Though it did add suspense to whatever she was reading. Andrea looked up and towards the door. Twas just a group of kids, and their parents. She waited patiently for the group to pick out their books, choosing to reorganized the front counter a bit. Jo really needed a flower or something to liven the old wooden counter up. A few daisies or any other friendly flower of the sort.

Andy smiled brightly to the kids as she rang up all the books they were getting. The parents forked over credit cards, and so she swiped those through the machine, handing the cards back with receipts. The young woman bagged said items and handed the bags to the kids along with a piece of candy. "Have a good day!" Andy said with a smile and wave. One of the girls gave a toothless smile and a wave. Andrea liked her the best of that little group of kids.

That was the process for most the afternoon. She'd start to really get into the book, then a customer came in. Andrea would wait patiently for them to purchase their books and the cycle went on and on until 3:30 in the afternoon when the bell on the door rattled as a rather excited customer entered..

"JO!" came the cry of the customer. Groaning, Andrea sighed and shook her head before closing her book, yet again. Andy already knew who the customer was with out even looking up. The rattle of the bell made it crystal clear of who he was. Thankfully he could be obnoxious without disturbing other customers since there was no one in the store other than those three.

"Luke! Good to see you, hun. " Jo said with a smile and hug. "Have you grown?" she asked as she looked up at the tall boy, who had actually grown three more inches to be at a whopping six feet. He just smiled before looking Andrea's way. Oh no, she knew _that _look. And it wasn't good; what ever it was Luke was about to tell her. That look always meant trouble.

Luke sauntered toward the counter. "Andy," he called in a sing song voice. That voice always meant trouble for the young woman. Luke had perfected that tone over the years. It was the perfect mix of whine, pout, normal name calling, and a few other things that were harder to detect.

"NO!" she said flatly. Andrea quickly put her book under the counter. No way was she going to let Luke poke fun at what she was reading. Luke, though a smart lad, was not the kind of reader that Andrea was. "What ever it is that you have to tell me or show me, NO!" He pouted for being shot down so quickly. His pour was the kind of pout that the lower lip jutted way out.

Luke batted his long eyelashes at Andrea, leaning his arms on the counter so he'd look up at her with his smoky blues. "Pweese?" Amusing that boy was. A sophomore in high school and he still acted like a little kid at times. He had the happy-go-lucky thing going which helped him become one of the most popular kids in his school, that and Luke's dashing good looks, which were bound to get better by his senior year and make him prom king.

Andrea sighed, knowing that Luke knew exactly how to get to her. Rolling her eyes and following Luke's lead by leaning on the counter, Andrea rolled my eyes and sighed again. "Fine. What is SO important that you had to interrupt my reading?" He grinned a Cheshire cat grin. Andy always got the shivers whenever she saw a smile like that as well as the fact that she would never again watch _Alice in Wonderland_ because of that creepy cat.

"I got some tickets...." he started, slowly and hesitantly. She stared at the lad impatiently. "To a concert that I thought maybe you'd like to go?" Luke finished quickly but Andy's good hearing was able to catch what he said. At this not only did Andrea's eyebrows shoot up, but she also stood and slammed her palms on the counter, obviously enraged with the teenager.

"Lucas Nathaniel Connerson, where on earth did you get the money for that?" She snapped, hoping eyes looked like molten green fire. Though Luke had often told Andy than when she glared she didn't look all that menacing, and of course he would laugh as she fumed over that remark.

He frowned, looking disappointed and sad. "Look, Andy, I didn't steal them if that's what you are thinking. They were a gift from Jake. He said that we needed to..." he looked confused for a moment. "What was it he said..." Luke snapped his fingers as if that would help him remember.

Finally he groaned frustratingly . "Lost it, but whatever. Will you come please?" he asked again, his smoky blue eyes pleading. Andrea sighed heavily knowing that he would not like what she had to say, nor did Andy like what she had to tell him.

"Sorry, Luke. I've got some homework I gotta do and Christopher needs me there early tomorrow." He looked disappointed, and disheartened. "Listen, why don't you take that girl from your English class. Angela right?" He nodded solemnly, still a bit distressed apparently that Andy could not go with him. Though from the way he kept talking about her, Andrea thought Luke would be a little happier to be able to take Angela to a concert and call it a date.

Andrea walked out from behind the counter in order to give Luke a hug. She could tell he needed it. It wasn't very often he dropped by the bookshop after school. It kind of broke her heart that she couldn't go, but it was impossible. Luke at least knew the truth about their situation even if he didn't like it. "I'm sorry that it couldn't work out for tonight, but how bout I treat you to a movie this weekend. Your choice," she offered with a smile. A movie was a rare treat, but Andy thought the kid deserved it. She did after all turn the concert offer down. Apparently, the thought of a movie excursion was enough to cheer Luke up.

"Thanks, Andy!" he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek and a little squeeze like hug. "Well, I'll be home late, don't wait up!" he started to leave.

"DON'T FORGET PROTECTION!" she yelled after him. He shook his head and waved, running out of the shop door and into the gaggle of people on the sidewalk. He knew Andrea was joking since they both believed, old-fashioned as it may be, to wait for sex until after marriage. It was a moral that both their parents taught them.

Jo came up to Andrea laughing, probably from what was said to Luke. She knew of their beliefs and respected them for it. It was nice to know that they were not alone. "That boy is something else." She mused lightly before going back to her work of organizing books.

Andrea smiled lightly as she went back to the counter and her book. "Yep, he sure is. But that's my brother for ya."

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**AN: Sorry for a long wait. I've been very busy this month, but DO NOT WORRY! By this time next week....I'll be on summer vacation and be able to crank out chapters faster. Thank you for reading! Comments are loved! ^_^**


	5. Hey There Stranger

_**Author's Note/Apology: I'm so sorry everyone! I've been pretty busy all summer long, so I haven't had the proper chance to update as much as I would have liked...**_

_**So again, sorry for the long wait, and without further ado, I give you the next installment of For War to Love......**_

_**Enjoy!  
**_

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Women. They made the poor War god shudder in disgust and fear. Why couldn't they mind their own business like men? He swore that he wished he was made more....plain when he got stripped of his powers for the most part.. Then the women, both married and single, would have kept their eyes elsewhere. Ares didn't mind so much, but it did get a little annoying considering it was only three in the afternoon.

Ares was able to find his way back to the apartment right after leaving the café, much to his pleasure. He hated wandering around the city. It wasn't like in Olympus when being god-like with looks was normal and didn't cause such a ruckus. However, Zeus was kind enough to leave Ares enough money to get settled in the mortal realm. Which was nice for a little while, seeing that he was able to secure a place of living. Not to mention he was able to get a job to help support himself in this forsaken realm. At the moment, Ares was just walking to pass some time.

He was contemplating how he was able to get a job so quickly considering he had no real 'qualifications' as the mortals called it for anything useful other than war. It was nice that order was one of the necessities of this job. Order was what armies needed to succeed. That was one thing Ares could do. Another thing, he wasn't afraid to get down and dirty to get something done.

Ares past by a bookshop, as a guy was walking in loudly. The god heard him say, "JO!" just as the doors shut. Being that he was always a tad curious, Ares stopped and looked inside. It was a quaint little place, but he thought that was what drew the customers in. Who wanted to go to a place where people didn't know what the heck they were talking about? Not Ares.

The war god looked around the rest of the shop and almost fell over when he saw that Andrea was there behind that gorgeous wood counter. She was reading something, but his eyes couldn't quite pick up what it was since she suddenly slammed it down on the counter and hid it. She appeared to know the boy, as Ares deduced from taking a closer look at how Andrea reacted to the boy's presence. The war god also wondered why Andrea was here if she already had a job. Didn't the cafe pay enough for her to live comfortably?

It also appeared that the guy who just walked in knew her. Andrea seemed a bit irked with the guy. Ares smiled lightly, as if he were glad for the irked expression. She was a feisty one, and he kind of admired that. No offense to women or the men who choose them, but who wanted a woman that just did what she was told, and sat quietly doing almost nothing, and never spoke unless spoken to. The day Ares found that kind of woman in any way shape or form appealing, was the day that all live on earth would end. Warrior women always held a certain appeal to the war god. After all, he wanted a woman who could match him blow for blow.

Pulling himself back into reality, Ares noticed that Andrea gave the guy a hug, and he gave her a light peck on the cheek. Maybe a boyfriend or something even if he did seem a bit too young for her. She was smiling after all and had a look full of caring. Ares took a closer look at the neither boy nor man. He seemed okay, no Apollo or Eros. But what did Ares know or care? Matters of the heart were not his problem.

The boy walked out of the shop and down the street. Ares had half a mind to follow him and ask how he knew Andrea. But how would THAT look. Someone who just met her this afternoon, asking about her? No so good, especially if he was her boyfriend or worse, a relative who would try to kick the crap out of Ares for 'stalking' Andrea. However, the war-monger knew that nowadays older women went out with younger men to make it appear that they are younger. But Andrea wasn't THAT old. Unless she used very good makeup. But she didn't seem like the kind of woman who would be obsessed with her looks.

Ares put the radical thoughts away, as they did not need to be thought about. Looking about the street, he pondered what to do next. The Grecian god could go into the shop, but then Andrea might think he was a stalker, or he could continue to wander around the city. Oh the possibilities...

Just because he am the god of war didn't mean he couldn't be dramatic sometimes, especially since he had no powers so to speak and was just an ordinary man for who knew how long. An ordinary man, who was in reality a god being supposedly punished for something he had no idea if he did. Ares really hated Zeus at the moment. At least now Ares could see why humans hated life sometimes. He wished he still had some power however. Power to provide himself with some sort of entertainment in this forsaken place. His prison as it were.

Ares found himself staring off into space again. A pastime that he had been participating in a lot since he came to Earth. Now was not the time to daydream. Now was the time to actually do something productive. But what? Ares' job was pretty much self-explanatory, so there was no way he'd confine himself to an office all day. That would be the worst sort of torture for a person used to physical labor of some sort.

"Excuse me young man, but could you help me carry these books to the back? I would do it all but my back has been getting bad." asked the older woman whom he saw in the bookstore. Her name was Jo, if that was whom that guy was talking to. And her name tag said 'Joanne Robertson, Store Proprietor'. She also had a large almost knowing smile on her aging face.

The war god smiled as politely as he could manage. If opportunity comes knocking for him to do something active, Ares should be wise to open the door. "Sure, just show me where you would like them to go." He lifted a couple of boxes easily and waited for the lady to show him where to go. Ares thought that maybe by helping he might learn just a little more about the interesting Andrea, but that would be a wrong reason and Ares was concerned that karma would bite him for helping an old lady for all the wrong reasons. As a god, he knew how things like karma worked. A little too well for his current comfort.

Ares snapped to when he noticed that she walked around the building, probably to go straight to the back room, since the boxes of books had been delivered in the front. "You know, nowadays its so hard to get any decent help. Everyone is bustling hither and thither, and no one has time to help an aging lady bring her livelihood, in this case books, inside and away from the elements," Jo babbled while showing him the way to the back of the shop. What she said was all too true. Even he wouldn't on normal circumstances, but something just clicked in his mind. Something that hadn't up to this point. Another piece in the puzzle of Andrea had been placed down.

However after shaking his head to clear his mind of troubling thoughts of the young woman, he could see why Jo would need help. The boxes were extremely heavy. Way to much for an older woman to carry on her own. What puzzled him was why she didn't have any men hired to help with things like this, and if Jo did have hired help, why weren't they doing their job? Andrea might have been able to help but Ares wasn't blind for he had noticed a few customers loitering around, and Andrea seemed to have a knack for numbers. Either that or her employers just like placing her behind a counter, even if she could and didn't mind doing more manual labor.

Ares paused, waiting for Jo to open the door. During that time, the man looked around the little alley way that the two were in. It seemed safe enough, and many business or living places shared the long alley. He also noticed an older vehicle in front of some stairs. Jo caught what Ares was gazing at and chuckled. "Marty, my son, loves older cars. Then again he loves vintage things. I swear he lives in the past," Jo just shook her head with a slight eye roll as well before opening the door.

"Here we are. If you would just set them on the tables," Jo said after flicking on the light. She smiled at Ares as he set the boxes on the tables. "Will you be needing anything else?" he asked after he had brought in the remaining boxes. Jo smiled again ans shook her head. "No but could I do something for you?" Ares chuckled a little. All Jo could do is let him and Andrea talk a little...but like he would ever admit that to an elderly woman.

"I'm afraid not. Thank you though." he said, turning to leave the shop. Ares had done his one kind deed for the day. If his services weren't needed, then he could go try to find something to do to get him through to dinner.

"Hold on, the least I could do is get you some refreshments for helping me out," she said kindly, smiled and left the shop through a door in the corner. He noticed stairs before it shut. Ares could only assume that it led her and Marty's apartment above the shop. Kind of old fashioned but that was the theme for the bookstore and even the car. It suited though. It meant Jo had a more personal attachment to her shop.

The war god left the back room and walked to a window, choosing to stare out the window while waiting for Jo to return. At this point he didn't care if Andrea saw him. It wasn't as if she'd remember him any way, despite the surprisingly large tip. So, Ares lost himself in his thoughts of better days until he heard a voice which pulled him from said thoughts.

"Hey there stranger."

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_**AN::: Thanks so much for reading! Comments and feedback of any sort are always loved and appreciated ^_^. **_


	6. Not Normal

"_He's remarkably calm despite the anger I am sure he feels, Zeus." Eros commented as he looked down upon the humans where he had sent Ares. The fact that the hothead was calmer than the winds troubled Eros greatly. Ares was not one to daydream about anything...maybe about a battle, but not about idle things such as he was at the moment. However, Zeus chuckled at the sight of Eros vexed at the calmness of his friend. Then again, Eros tended to be a bit antsy while a match was in the making. The slightest thing set him off on a tangent. _

_ "Maybe he thinks he will be able to come back because of his good behavior. Even if its behavior totally unlike him. Maybe he has been watching too much mortal entertainment where criminals can get out of punishment for having good behavior. But unfortunately, Ares has no idea why he got sent to earth, and of course until his 'mission' there is complete, he must stay in the mortal realm no matter how well he behaves. Which I suppose is a good thing for now," commented the head god. "You have nothing to worry or fret over, Eros." Zeus hoped these words would comfort the visibly tense and worried love god. It is never good to have a worried love god in his court. _

_ Eros sighed and ran his hand through his lustrous locks. "I know that Zeus," he said exasperatedly as he looked to his liege. "But it's just not normal." Eros returned to pacing near the mirror, gazing into it from time to time to watch Ares. Zeus sighed as well. Rubbing his aching temples, Zeus was starting to get slightly annoyed at Eros's constant worry. Wasn't there a human saying which stated that everything will work out alright in the end? _

_ "Maybe I should have found a girl that didn't look or act the way she does...but I was almost sure that she could be the one for him...maybe if I could make a..." Zeus heard Eros mumble while pacing. Zeus cleared his throat causing Eros to stop his pacing and mumbling and look up at his liege. _

_"Eros, for once in your life, think logically!" Zeus practically yelled. "It's most likely that when we stripped Ares of his powers, most of that hotheadedness and stubbornness, that we know and love so well, was taken away. Now that Ares is human, it will take a bit more to aggravate him and make him more like the Ares we know," Zeus explained before standing from his throne and walking over to the mirror near Eros. He was almost positive that was the reason for Ares being so calm. _

_Eros sighed, knowing that Zeus was right, but also a bit irked that Zeus reprimanded him for not thinking logically. It was a rare thing for Eros to think logically, and it only happened once in a blue moon since it was his nature to be irrational. "I suppose that what you say is true." The love god gave a smile. "I'm actually looking forward to see how their relationship progresses," he said like a giddy child with eyes gleaming mischievously as he looked into the mirror. _

_Zeus smiled and nodded in agreement, amusement crawling into his face at Eros' actions. A knowing twinkle came to the head god's eye. I have a good feeling that what is about to be spoken, may cause some turbulence, but in a good way." Zeus stepped closer to the mirror, clasping his hands behind his back after motioning for Eros to do the same. "Come, let us see what transpires!" _

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_**Author's Note: WOOT! Two chapters in one day! I'm cooking! -laugh- Okay, okay. I know this really isn't a chapter chapter, but it gives some information that I thought was appropriate for you all to know.**_

_**So I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for taking the time to read. If you have time to comment, I will love you forever! ^_^  
**_


	7. Call Me Ares

Looking over his shoulder, Ares saw Andrea leaning against the counter. "Long time no see I suppose one could say," he said with a shrug. With a few short strides, the war god was at the counter. His eyes scanned the items around the register, but did manage to catch Andrea smiling lightly.

"Yeah, I suppose one could say that," she softly said, though Ares caught the tint of amusement in her voice.

He looked around the shop. "So another glorious job?" Andrea chuckled and shifted her weight as if the question made her a bit uncomfortable. Ares wondered why. Why should she be uncomfortable about the fact she has two jobs?

"Yeah, two jobs to help pay for rent and college. The squirt helps out too, but not as much cause he's in high school still," Andrea said as she looked out the large shop windows. She seemed a bit embarrassed to mention that she had such a busy schedule, and that her brother had to help pay the bills. Where they really that destitute? Ares frowned for a moment. Why was it upsetting him so much that Andrea and her brother had to work to stay alive? It built character in Ares' humble opinion. He was pulled from his thoughts as she continued.

"You just missed him too. He left only a few minutes before you came. He's my obnoxiously adorable little brother." Andrea smiled at him, the smile of a sister who loves her....brother. Suddenly the scene that Ares had viewed earlier wasn't of a boyfriend and girlfriend but just a display of sibling affection. He knew that the boy was too young to be romantically involved with Andrea. Ares just knew it via his wonderful gut instinct.

"He sounds like a good kid," he said, just making some conversation since there wasn't much else to do there. Plus, Luke seemed to respect his sister a lot, or something like that.

Andrea nodded. "Yeah, he can be an idiot sometimes. But he's not a bad kid." She sighed and looked down at her book. "Oh yeah..." she said nervously as she looked back up. "Can I help you find anything?" Ah, trying to do her job. Diligent worker, Ares thought with a smirk.

"Actually," he scratched the back of my head. "That kind elderly lady was going to get me something to drink for helping her with the book order, but I don't know what is taking so long."

Andrea's expression changed to one of utter shock. "She....Jo...is getting you a beverage?" Ares raised an eyebrow, wondering why it was such a shock to her.

"Yeah?" the war god said, obviously very confused. What was so shocking about Jo getting him something for helping her out?

Andrea guffawed, beating her sternum as if it would aid in ridding whatever it was caught in her lungs. "Excuse me. It's just that Jo rarely does things like that. I guess she sees something...special or different about you." Andrea smiled again.

Now it was his turn to have a surprised expression. "Really? Wow...." Ares didn't know if he was suppose to feel honored or horrified. Even as a human, someone could tell he was different? The idea kind of scared him. It wouldn't be good if people found out he was the god of war.

Andrea just nodded slightly. "Jo is a remarkable judge of character and she can be very blunt about what she likes and dislikes, despite the fact she is kind and very grandmotherly. I don't know what you might have told her or did for her, but whatever it was, Jo really liked it." Andrea sighed and walked to the shop proper and began reorganizing things.

"That's kind of how I got this job." she said. Ares was actually confused as to why Andrea was being so open. She struck him as outgoing, but one doesn't have to be open about himself to be outgoing. He knew of many instances where someone was outgoing but not open with personal information. In fact, Ares knew that it was usually the outgoing ones that had trouble opening up about themselves.

Seeming to realize this too, Andrea stopped talking for a while and just worked. It was really annoying that she didn't finish her little tale about how she came to work for Jo. Ares wasn't about to push a matter that might ruin his first potential prospect for a friend on this forsaken land, even if she was a woman.

Clearing her throat, Andrea turned to Ares and smiled. "I doubt we've been properly introduced." She held out her hand. The proper thing to do as a man never extended his hand to a lady. She was the one to initiate the handshake. Ares smirked a little. He liked a straightforward woman like this. "My name is Andrea Connerson. And yours is?"

He panicked for a moment. What on this mortal piece of land was he suppose to tell her? Ares, god of war? It was totally absurd to think that for one moment that Andrea would believe him. But what other choice did he have? Ares inwardly sighed and outwardly smiled, taking Andrea's soft but sturdy hand. "Call me Ares."

_**Author's note: okay sorry it's short....I think in the past I may have combined this one and the previous two....but oh well....**_

_**Hope you liked it! Thanks for reading, please comment! ^_^  
**_


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